Making Your First Hire a Successful One

There are many things you need to learn how to do as a business owner, and finding the right people, managing employees and turning them into a team are all key aspects.

As with anything else in life, though, in the entrepreneurial world it’s smarter to start small and learn as you go. In this case, that means hiring just one person and then tweaking your hiring process.

Here are some steps to begin with to make sure your very first hire is a successful one:

1. Get digital.

If you want to find the right people to do the job for you, you’ll need to get online and be wherever they are.

According to a study, the Internet is the go-to place for employees when they are looking for a job. ‘Some 28% of Americans – including 53% of 18- to 29-year-olds – have used a smartphone in one way or another as part of a job search.’

What’s more, they are now relying on their phones for other tasks too, such as filling a job application or creating their resume or cover letter.

So make sure you’re not left behind by not turning to technology.

Social networks are your first stop. LinkedIn seems to be one of the top choices as both companies, graduates and experienced workers looking for better opportunities are there. But don’t underestimate Twitter, Facebook or other less popular channels. You can never know where your best candidate can find you.

Then there are all the platforms out there connecting employers with employees. Join Guru, UpWork, Freelancer and PeoplePerHour, post your job and receive tens of applications in just a few minutes.

2. Put more thought into the job description.

By clearly stating what the job is all about, what your values are and how the work process will go, you’re saving time both to yourself and the future employee as only the right ones will apply for it.

3. Make online checks.

You want to hire people with no criminal record, so what better way than to request one using a user-friendly online system and receive the DBS in under 48 hours.

UCheck are one such secure and fast provider of online checks for employees.

4. Communication is key.

One of the biggest tests of all is how the other person communicates. If he’s asking the right questions, is available for an interview and answers email as often as possible, discusses important aspects as payment, deadlines, or else, then you’re onto something.

Also, check if he’s got similar interests and cares about the industry your business is in as that will mean more commitment to the work.

5. Start with a one-time project.

Another smart thing you can do so that you don’t end up trusting someone too much just to be disappointed in a few weeks or so, is to hire him for a one-time job and see how it goes.

If there are any issues, they will come up in the future. Together with that, you’ll be able to notice some personal traits, such as patience, creativity, initiative, time management (or the lack of these).

Once you see what it is to hire and manage people, you can start thinking about growing your team and thus delegating more work and scaling the business.

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